End Of The Road Or Just Minor Hiccup? What Next For Oxford COVID-19 Vaccine As Trials Pause

It has been widely described as a track in the global race for a COVID-19 vaccine after AstraZeneca, the UK firm which co-developed the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine announced that the human trials will be paused.

AstraZeneca was forced to suspend the trial after one of the participants developed an unexplained illness.

AP

The volunteer fell sick and developed adverse side-effects involving the spinal cord from the vaccine candidate.

As of now the human trials of the vaccine are halted and researchers will examine the volunteer and his condition, to ascertain whether it was caused by the vaccine.

It's important to know that there's no evidence to suggest that the patient's neurological problems were mainly because of vaccine, or something else. The observations are still under study by the vaccine safety and regulatory board.

AP

They will also monitor other participants for any other adverse effects from the vaccine to ensure its safety.

Trials suspended for the time being

In the meantime, the trials will remain suspended, and only once it is determined that the vaccine is safe, it will resume.

AFP

That has a direct impact on the expected time of arrival of the vaccine, which according to some could have happened in late October or November.

Now, if the vaccine has been determined as safe to use, it will definitely miss the schedule.

'Still optimistic'

However, AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot is still optimistic that the vaccine may still be available by the end of the year or early next year.

¡°I still think we are on track for having a set of data that we would submit before the end of the year for regulatory approval,¡± Pascal said adding that it will be depending on ¡°how fast the regulators move, they could still have a vaccine by the end of this year, early next year.¡±

AFP

Experts are of the opinion that it is not a setback and reiterated that the several rounds of human trails are in place for exactly the same purpose.

World Health Organization's (WHO) chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan described it as a wakeup call.

¡°This is a wake-up call to recognise that there are ups and downs in clinical development and that we have to be prepared. We do not have to be discouraged. These things happen,¡± she said.

AP

The Oxford vaccine, which was the frontrunner has hit a roadblock, it is just one of the nine COVID-19 vaccines currently in phase 3 trials, while there are others which are under the animal, and phase 1 and 2 human trials.

Russia's Sputnik V is being readied to be rolled out for the population in the first phase, despite many questioning the authenticity of its results.